Shavout, Pentecost: The True Relevance

by Russ Schmidt. Article #PBT-0032

Shavuot or Feast of Weeks, as it was called in the Old Testament, was just like every other Holy Day of God, it initially was for the Israelites (the Twelve Tribes of Israel), but was really only the foundation of what God truly designed it for, and that is for all people who would ever be born. 

1 Timothy 2:3-4, “3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time…” 

2 Peter 3:9, “9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

Each and every Holy Day listed in Leviticus chapter 23, was designed with you and me in God’s mind. It was a grand plan that God designed even before the creation of the world, in order to be sure that we would be saved from our sin, our sicknesses, diseases, and anything else that could possibly come between you and your Father in heaven. 

Christianity Following the Edicts of Man

And it is for this reason, why I believe, that these days are days we as Christians should honor, but unfortunately for most of Christianity, they neglect. They don’t neglect them intentionally; they neglect them because they are following the edicts of man. The problem comes with the ministry, who are not doing their due diligence and proving what they believe.

They just go along with the crowd because for some two-thousand-years Christianity has set Sunday as the day of worship. But they follow this without even questioning, “Where did this change come from? And who changed it? Did God change it? Did Jesus suggest this change? Did the apostles suggest this change?” These are questions that every minister should be asking, but they don’t.

Yet, most, if not all, would adamantly deny anyone who questions, “Why Sunday?” People don’t like to be proven wrong; like it’s some kind of bad thing. I’ve been proven wrong many times, but do you know what? Each time I was proven wrong, I was growing in the knowledge and understanding of God’s true nature. A little humility goes a long way.

1 Peter 5:6, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you.”

James quotes Proverbs 3:34, when he writes in James 4:6, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Pride is ego, and ego can make man deny what’s right, so as not to humiliate himself. But again, a little humiliation results in a blessing from God. But, with that said, with some ministers, it’s not about ego, as much as it is that they are absolutely convinced of what they believe. But, again, I just ask them to do their due diligence, which most have not done, because they have the attitude, how can so many great teachers before me, be wrong?

According to the non-canonical Book of Jubilees, chapter one, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on the Holy Day of Shavuot/Feast of Weeks on Mount Sinai. From the very beginning the nation of Israel was meant to be a shining light for all the world to see. God chose the Twelve Tribes of Israel to institute His plan, but the plan wasn’t just for those twelve Tribes, it was a plan for all mankind; every race, creed, and color.

Just like that very first Pentecost, which is Shavuot or the Feast of Weeks fulfilled, the Lord gave His Holy Spirit to His twelve disciples for them to go out into the world and preach the Good News of the Gospel.

But with Moses, when He came down from Mount Sinai the first time, what did he find? He found all of the Israelites worshipping a golden calf; a man-made substitute for the Holy God. Because of this sin three thousand Israelites died that very same day. Keep that number in mind, because it will become interesting, if not prophetic, at the end of this writing.

Sadly, most Christians don’t even realize this, but this is exactly what has happened in our day today. Satan has done a masterful job at getting Christians to take their focus off of God’s true Holy Days and the meaning behind them all, and focus on days that are pagan worship days by putting Christianized lipstick on them and calling them God’s days, when they are not.

But just as God restored the Ten Commandment stones with Moses’ second trek up Mount Sinai, so too will God restore His Church, and the eyes of the Church will be opened to God’s true nature, and true Holy Days and why they were important all along. 

This is why the first thing we are told that will happen when Jesus begins His millennial reign, is all nations will come to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles (Zechariah 14:16). And it goes on to say that this will continue for each year that follows during the one-thousand-year reign of Christ. 

Once God Himself, comes down with the New Jerusalem to reside with man, it will be then when these days, including the Sabbath will no longer be necessary. Jesus said in Matthew 24:35, “34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”

As I often say, when I look around, heaven and earth are still with us, and will be until the appointed time.

There is a very good reason why Jesus said that. He didn’t say it as a figure of speech. He said it because one day it will be so. We read that in Revelation 21:23-27: 

“22 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. 25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. 27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”

Why is the Feast of Tabernacles the first Holy Day observance in the millennial reign? I believe, if the Holy Days are fulfilled in the order in which they were given, and there is no reason to believe they won’t be, since the first four have been fulfilled in the order in which they were given. Then the Feast of Trumpets, which follows Pentecost, is the next Holy Day to be fulfilled.

I believe the Feast of Trumpets represents the pre-tribulation Rapture of the Church. The Day of Atonement/Yom Kippur, is the next Holy Day that follows ten days after Trumpets. On this day, I believe it represents Christ’s defeat of Satan, when He locks him up with his demonic forces for one-thousand-years in the Abyss. 

The Feast of Tabernacles is what follows the Day of Atonement and represents Jesus’ millennial reign. So, it makes sense if Jesus defeats Satan on the Day Atonement and is about to begin His millennial reign, which is represented by the Feast of Tabernacles, it makes sense that the first Holy Day observance in the millennial reign will be the Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot in Hebrew.

The Example of the Book of Ruth

The Book of Ruth is a story that takes place between the barley harvest (the Passover) and the wheat harvest (Shavuot/Pentecost). The story begins with a famine, and I believe is a representation of Hosea 4:6, which reads, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” And also, Amos 8:11 which reads, “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God, “That I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.” 

The people were lost and in dire need of a Kinsman Redeemer, who would restore the true nature of God, and through the Holy Spirit, give knowledge and understanding to the people.

Noami represented the Jewish people of the day, and Ruth represented the Gentiles, both were in need of this Savior/Kinsman Redeemer. The story begins with the Barley harvest during the Passover, and ends with the wheat harvest, which is Shavuot/Pentecost, when Boaz, the Kinsman Redeemer, representing Christ, marries Ruth who represents both the Gentiles and Jews because of her kinship in marriage with Noami. 

Think about this. Scripture tells us that Gentiles are grafted into the family of Abraham through our faith in Christ, which is a betrothal or an engagement to Christ as a bride in waiting. The marriage ceremony occurs at the Wedding Super of the Lamb. We who don’t deserve it, are given grace and mercy, and forgiveness of our sins, so we could be cleansed, purified and made white, so as not to defile this special and spiritual occasion (Revelation 21:27).  

Ruth was born as a Moabite. In Deuteronomy 23:3, God instructed the Israelites about Moabites and that they should not allow a Moabite to enter the assembly. Moab was born from an indecent union between Lot and his eldest daughter. Yet, God honored Ruth and through her genealogy, He chose to bring forth Messiah, Jesus.

Even Boaz, Ruth’s Kinsman Redeemer, was born of Rahab the harlot (Matthew 1:5). God can take any situation, or anyone, and turn it for good through the blood of Christ. The Book of Ruth is all about a greater redemption to come in Christ, and grafting in those shoots that were once defile and unacceptable, but now have been purified through His blood and are welcomed to the Wedding Feast of the Lamb!

It’s no surprise that on Shavuot, the Jewish tradition is to read Psalm 67, which describes all that I’ve talked about here. Let’s read Psalm 67:

“1 God be merciful to us and bless us,

And cause His face to shine upon us, Selah

2 That Your way may be known on earth,

Your salvation among all nations.

3 Let the peoples praise You, O God;

Let all the peoples praise You.

4 Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy!

For You shall judge the people righteously,

And govern the nations on earth. Selah

5 Let the peoples praise You, O God;

Let all the peoples praise You.

6 Then the earth shall yield her increase;

God, our own God, shall bless us.

7 God shall bless us,

And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.”

But it all points to this climactic event found in Acts chapter 2 and the fulfillment of Shavuot at this very first Pentecost. The disciples were gathered together, when suddenly was a rush like a mighty wind that came upon them. Tongues of fires danced over each of their heads, as they began to talk in strange tongues, or different languages. The Spirit of God filled each one, and they would never be the same. And the world would never be the same, as the Good News of the Gospel would be preached throughout all the world in fulfilling the promise of what Shavuot, described in Psalm 67, was all about.

Now, I promised earlier that the number three thousand of the Israelites that died the day Moses found them worshipping the Golden Calf, upon his descent from Mount Sinai with the Law of God, would become, not only interesting, but prophetic.

Remember I mentioned that the Book of Jubilees has Moses ascending Mount Sinai at Shavuot/Pentecost. There are two prophetic links in this story that proves Jubilees true, that it occurred at Shavuot. 

First, we have the Fire of God that appeared to the Israelites on the top of Mount Sinai. Exodus 24:17 reads, “The sight of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel.” 

In that very first Pentecost in Acts chapter 2, that began the Church Age, we had tongues of fire that appeared over the heads of all the disciples who received God’s Holy Spirit. The fire of God connects these two events, and is one prophetic proof that Mount Sinai did occur on Shavuot.

Second, we have Acts 2:41 which reads, “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” Wow! Do you see the redemption of God here? Three thousand souls perished due to the sin of worshipping the golden calf. But here in Acts chapter 2, three thousand souls were added to the Kingdom through God’s grace and mercy, and of course, because of our Sacrificial Passover Lamb, Yeshua Ha Meshiach.

God is a merciful God who wants no one to perish, but for all to come to repentance, and have eternal life with Him as their Father and protector. God is a restorer of those things that seemed dead and defiled. 

The history of the Jewish people is the perfect example of God’s grace and mercy, and I believe proof that people we may have condemned to hell because of our human nature, will surprise us and be with us in the Kingdom of God.

Think about it. The history of the Jewish people is one that would certainly lead us humans to say they will never be forgiven. They rejected and crucified the Christ; the Messiah they have longed for from the beginning, yet did not even recognize Him when He appeared.

And even after He defeated death and was resurrected from the grave, they continued to deny Him and do everything they could to reject the truth of His majesty. Yet, after all this, God will one day send His Son back to rescue the very people who rejected and crucified Him. 

1 Corinthians 13:4-7, “4 Love is patient, love is kind; love does not envy; love does not boast, is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always endures all things. 8 Love never fails!” 

We need to remember these Holy Days of God, along with the Sabbath, because they are important to God, and He wants us to teach them to our Children so they can clearly see the promise of His grace and mercy, and that He is one day coming back to take us home!